Who needs Speedy Fibre Connectivity ?
Broadband has become increasingly more vital to our everyday lives and the amount of devices that we use on a daily basis that utilise broadband connectivity seems to increase. The quantity of tablets, smartphones, laptops, desktops, games consoles and TV’s that everyone has in their homes, seems to increase everyday.
Berwick St Leonard Broadband Deals For March 2024
[elementor-template id=”137965″]Connection Type | Availablity |
---|---|
FTTC / Fibre / Superfast Broadband | Yes |
Cable / Virgin Media | Some Areas |
ADSL / Broadband | Yes |
4G | Yes |
Working from home is commonplace as it saves people sitting in commuter traffic, something that we all wish to avoid.
Quite simply, traditional broadband connections often struggle to deal with the simultaneous demands of downloading large files, streaming videos or music, with multiple devices and appliances turned on at the same time. With Superfast fibre broadband though, everyone within a home or business manages to do what they want online– all concurrently– without any annoying delays.
What is super-fast broadband?
Super-fast broadband refers to broadband connections of right up to 300Mbps in the UK.
Super-fast broadband connections enable users to connect to the internet , stream music & video and stream television at speeds that are massively greater than most broadband users.
While the current average UK internet connection is around 12Mbps (2014), high speed internet products deliver speeds of up to 300Mbps, through sophisticated fibre-optic broadband networks which include Virgin Media and BT’s Infinity fibre optic cables.
How does super-fast internet work ?
Unlike many UK internet connections, which use telephone lines, the UK’s fastest internet product – the 100Mbps service from Virgin (it’s 200Mbps in some areas) – is delivered by a cable, or fibre-optic, broadband network. These cables are made of glass and plastic, which allows data to move much quicker than along the copper cables used by traditional ADSL internet .
BT also offers a right up to 76Mb fibre-optic service called Infinity (you can get 300Mbps in some areas), and plans to make this available to millions more UK homes in in the future .
The likes of TalkTalk, Sky and EE have resold BT’s Infinity service to launch rebranded super fast cable broadband products of their own.
However, fast internet is not exclusively on offer to people in a fibre broadband area . Fast broadband is not exclusively on offer to people in a fibre-optic broadband area. If you live within a certain distant of your broadband provider’s exchange you can still get fast internet by enrolling in selected ADSL2+ internet packages from the providers like O2, Sky, Orange and TalkTalk.
ADSL2+
This sort of connection uses the same cables and telephone exchanges as regular ADSL phone-line connections, but due to the software and technology used it can deliver speeds of around 24Mbps, however most advertised speeds are around “right up to 16Mb”.
Your speed depends, as always, on the quality of the cabling and the distance you are from the exchange, but if you inhabit a town or built up area you can realistically expect speeds of right up to 16Mb or more. This still provides ample bandwidth for heavy internet users, and at a smaller cost than cable.
Which superfast connectivity product is the quickest ?
Among the UK’s quickest broadband products is Virgin Media’s 152Mbps service. Virgin Media, which also offers 50Mbps broadband products as a bare minimum, is able to deliver such fast connections as a result of its super-fast fibre broadband network.
BT’s Infinity package offers a maximum speed of 76Mbps and the aforementioned services from Sky, EE and TalkTalk, which use BT’s fibre optic network and feature headline speeds in accordance with BT.
Alternatively, broadband products offering an up to 16Mbps (or thereabouts) connection are available from most providers. The arrival of these speeds has been facilitated by an upgrade of BT’s network with ADSL2+ technology, enabling the existing cabling to carry more data.
How do I get fast broadband ?
Your start is to decide which highspeed internet services are available at your exhaage. Check which service are available.
Advantages of fast internet
Super fast internet can let you utilise all the video on demand available on the internet. You will have the chance to watch movies in a within minutes – allowing you consume what you like, when you want it , and getting rid of the days of long waiting times for enormous downloads.
Fans of on-demand TV can enjoy their favourite shows on the Sky Now TV, along with rival services from ITV and Channel 4, smoothly and without buffering.
Reduced ‘ping’ means better response times delivered by super-fast broadband means that when online gaming you gain a competitive advantage over the opposition and can enjoy a better more enjoyable experience.
Disadvantages of fibre connectivity
Speeds are never 100% as advertised (although are often very close ) and based on things that are not within your control, like the age of copper connectivity and the distance you live from the exchange . Even if high speed connectivity is available in your location, these limiting factors may not bring many benefits in speed for a much higher price .
Who is FTTC internet for?
The massive growth in the number of people listening to music, streaming video and watching catchup TV online means that there is no longer a typical user of super-fast connectivity .
If you are a heavy downloader or are one of the increasing number of consumers who prefer to catch up with TV programmes online, it makes sense to sign up for a super fast internet deal – preferably fibre optic for the best experience.
Fibre internet is also ideal for fans of online gaming . This is because faster connectivity eliminates the delays to in-game responsiveness. This is known as ping, which is commonly triggered by slower traditional connectivity services . This can seriously ruin your online gaming pleasure.
If you only use the internet for checking your e-mail and for the occasional search, it’s more prudent to opt for a standard ADSL service .
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